A flurry of activity breaks the usual quiet at the Mainamati War Cemetery in Cumilla, the burial place of 738 soldiers who died during World War II between 1941-1945.

The cemetery houses the remains of 357 soldiers from Great Britain, 171 from undivided India, 86 from West Africa, 56 from East Africa, 24 from Japan, 12 each from Canada and Australia, four from New Zealand, three from Rhodesia and one each . from South Africa, Myanmar, Belgium and Poland.

Now, after 81 years, Japan has begun repatriating the remains of 24 soldiers buried at the cemetery.

A seven-member forensic team from Japan has begun exhuming the remains, which include skulls and bones from various body parts.

The cemetery is located near the Cumilla-Sylhet Regional Highway within Cumilla Cantonment.

Abdur Rahim, country manager of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains the cemetery, said: “A seven-member forensic team from Japan arrived at Cumilla and began operations last Wednesday (November 13).

“Of the 737 soldiers buried here, 24 are Japanese. The forensic team will complete the exhumation and repatriation process by November 24,” Rahim added.

Retired Bir Protik Lieutenant Colonel Kazi Sajjad Ali Zahir, who is assisting the Japanese representatives, said: “The team consists of six Japanese forensic experts and one from the United States. These graves are over 81 years old and we have already exhumed his remains. 10 people.”

“Given the passage of time, recovery of intact remains is rare. Some graves yield debris after digging three feet, while others require six feet. We have found skulls and bones in the graves excavated so far. In one grave, we discovered a bullet mark. on the skull of a 28-year-old soldier,” he further explained.

Every November, High Commissioners and representatives of Commonwealth nations pay their respects at the cemetery.

On November 9 this year, diplomats from 13 countries laid floral tributes in memory of the fallen soldiers.